Kiwi stayer Herculian Prince is on-course for the Melbourne Cup after bouncing back to form in the G1 AJC The Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday.

Herculian Prince (5g Yamanin Vital – Sea Island by Woodman) had put the writing on the wall for a Group 1 result with a dominant victory in the G3 Kingston Town Stakes at Rosehill on September 11.  But those plans nosedived when he choked down as an odds-on favourite in the Colin Stephen Quality on September 25.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse fitted a bit lifter to the gelding’s gear and he responded with a runaway victory over Mourayan and No Wine No Song in the Metropolitan.  “It’s onwards and upwards to Melbourne,” Waterhouse predicted.  “I haven’t had a runner in the Melbourne Cup for a few years and I so dearly want to win it.”

Herculian Prince was bred in New Zealand by Amber Thoroughbreds and is a son of ill-fated Sir Tristram sire Yamanin Vital.  His dam Sea Island hails from the family of the G1 winners Racing to Win, Hula Chief and Love Dance.

He was purchased privately out of Karyn McQuade’s New Zealand stable by Gai’s husband Robbie Waterhouse and paid his way during the autumn carnival with Listed wins in the Neville Sellwood (1900m) and JRA Plate (2000m).

The Metropolitan brought up 100 Group 1 wins for Waterhouse.  She is just the fourth Australian trainer to reach the milestone after her legendary late father T J Smith, Bart Cummings and Lee Freedman.